Forewarned
by Andysaurus
Summary: Although the delay with the phone message to Billy is plausible, it's just a plot ploy. So, if Billy and Queenan received the call early enough, there are a whole new range of possibilities ... So here is one.
1. Chapter 1

Billy had just started to explain to Queenan that he could get no more advance info about Costello's drug orders when his phone rang. Much as he wanted to ignore it, that would be unwise if it was anything to do with Costello's increasingly demented want's. The message that came over the phone stunned him. Billy grabbed Queenan and said "Run, the gang know we're here".

Once in the lift, Billy hit the button for the second floor, "Costello put a tail on you ... unless The Mole did. We go out by the back - they could be here anytime".  
"Only a Staff Sergeant or higher can do that, officially" Queenan replied, horrified by the implications.  
Once at the second floor Billy sent the lift back up to the 6th floor and they went out by the fire exit, which he slammed shut after a brief look around.

It took some time for them to work their way around the building and as they emerged onto the street, Billy could see a car just in front of the entrance, with a car plate that he recognised. Carefully moving forward he saw the last of the gang heading into the tower. Billy said "Run", and they both bolted across the street and down the nearest connecting road.

The surveillance cops watching the entrance from their car down the street were just digesting Sullivan's command that they stay in place when they saw Billy and Queenan bolt like terrified rabbits across the road. They could see that Queenan was in trouble, and reported into Control that Costegan and Queenan had fled the site.


	2. Chapter 2

Back at SIU surveillance Control, three parties were not slow at guessing what had just happened :  
Sullivan, who now launched into damage relief overdrive to protect his own neck.  
Barrigan, who realised that Sullivan could be "The Mole", no wonder he had been able to help him so much to become a detective; did Sullivan know about Costello's FBI double dealing?  
Dignam, who after watching the start of Sullivan's damage relief overdrive overcame his professional secretiveness, grabbed Ellerby and said "A Word In Private, NOW".

Sullivan's damage relief consisted of confusing the issue. He ordered two operatives to shadow Billy and Queenan, while the other two were to stay in the car and monitor the gang. Sullivan now needed time to think. He made the excuse of seeing Ellerby. Good thing that Ellerby was now in an office getting the raw end of Dignam's tongue. It gave Sullivan the chance to text Costello with "Q left B with B.C". Sullivan would also have liked to add "KILL THEM", but the danger was too great since he was dependent on the police tails to get at them and any killing would be in "full view". Chances were that more than just Dignum would put two and two together. Best to get out of this with fast talking and try and save the Queenan's life, whatever Queenan might reveal.

Dignum had been filling Ellerby in with "The Facts of Life" as far as Billy was concerned, as well as with what he thought about Sullivan wrecking the undercover operation. He demanded that they both needed protecting and Sullivan should be dissected, though there was no chance of Ellerby agreeing to his "Teacher's Pet" even being suspended. However, when Ellerby emerged he brushed Sulivan aside and went to the control desk to give orders.


	3. Chapter 3

Billy had led Queenan down two streets and then stopped in a alcove from where they could still survey the street. Billy said "Whoever was tailing you could have seen me, and might identify me later. And anyway, I can't get any more info. Costello does not trust anyone now, we only get consignment info on the day. He's going crazy, he will do anything now. I can tell, he suspects that ...". Billy had been going to say that he thought that Costello suspected him of wanting to take over, but that instead of killing him might just use the Feds to get rid of him. "Run!" Billy shouted.

Two streets later and Billy stopped to explain and have a think. "There were two guys and one looked familiar, he got on the subway car in too much of a hurry. Follow me".  
Another two streets later and they had entered a maze of abandoned buildings. Now Queenan had clearly seen the two guys in pursuit. Eventually they found a place to stop for a short rest. Queenan said, quietly, "They must have tracked us from the building. They look familiar which means that they may be surveillance cops. This means big trouble; there's now no way to extract you cleanly".  
"So what?" Billy replied "OK, maybe it's messy, but if we just walk into the SIU my file will speak for us".  
"And so will Dignum, it's just messy and could cause all kinds of real trouble. Ok lets go".  
"With care" said Billy enigmatically. They exited the area but Billy kept to the old tenement area. Finally Billy said "We need to be careful even if we have lost them. We don't know what resources Costello or the Mole are using. We should try and avoid any surveillance cameras". Queenan agreed, "Yes, and if the Mole is a Staff Sergeant he could easily access them. I have never realised how wide open we could be to the abuse of police resources".

Billy was right about the cameras. Ellerby had given orders that the surveillance cops contact Queenan to assure him that things were ok, and to tail Billy but avoid contact. So when contact with Billy and Queenan was lost Ellerby gave general orders for Queenan and Billy to be located; this involved the surveillance camera system.


	4. Chapter 4

Eventually Billy and Queenan reached a Shopping district quite far from the SIU. There was now no way they could proceed and avoid risking police or camera surveillance. Queenan tried to phone Dignum, but got no connection. Now Queenan began fretting about what was really going on and if Billy had been seen and could still be extracted. Billy decided to test the water and phone the crook who had originally contacted him.

The phone connected but Billy was in for another shock. Billy said that he could not get to the site yet because of traffic. The reply was that it was the wrong site, and so Billy had blown his cover. However, having once been an informer himself he would not tell on Billy, not that it made amy difference; they had been ordered to bring Billy to Costello : Billy should run. Billy told Queenan, "Costello wants them to find me, it's over". Billy guessed that the crook might have been an FBI informant, and served as a link between Costello and the Feds. But that possible way to take down Costello was something for later.

They had to avoid being recognised. "We should change our clothing, at least get hats" Billy said, and then lead Queenan, hidden by a throng of people, into a store. Half an hour later they left through the back. They now looked like travelling business men, Billy was in a shiny three piece business suit, while Queenan had a new, and expensive, business jacket. Both now wore hats and carried rather large executive hold-alls, containing their old cloths.

As they approached the plaza in front of the SIU Queenan said, "We don't need to go in by the front. There are other ways in that only we use, and in one case we can still avoid the cameras". Sneaking around the plaza they got in by a nondescript back entrance that should have had a guard on duty and headed up the stairs.

Everybody was shocked when Queenan and Billy appeared heading for Ellerby's office. Once inside, it did not take Ellerby, Dignum ... and Sullivan long to appear. Once the mutual recriminations had subsided Billy, Queenan and Dignum went to Queenan's office. Billy was now under Police Protection, his true status still hidden except from Ellerby, while Queenan was suspended. But Queenan needed to show them the photos of FBI Supervisor Morris and FBI Operative Connolly doing business with Costello. They also discussed Sullivan. While Dignum was certain that Sullivan was the Mole, Billy wondered if Costello could have set the rumour of Queenan being a mole going while someone else whispered in Sullivan's ear to tail Queenan. After all, it was risky for The Mole to be in charge of tailing Queenan; Dignum could buy that. Billy suggested that it could do no harm to use the FBI to investigate the people in Sullivan's unit and see what garbage was flushed out. Then there was also the possibility of an FBI, or ex FBI, informant being in Costello's gang.


	5. Chapter 5

That evening after Sullivan phoned in, Costello was thinking that he could use his FBI contacts to get at Billy, costly and messy but effective. But could Billy be more than a lousy informant - even a cop? The more Costello thought about it the more it looked like he had been played; could he find out more and be sure? Costello's only other problem was going to be, was it worth saving Sullivan or sacrificing Barragan if the worst came to the worst when they were put under a microscope.

A month went by and there was no sign from either the FBI or Queenan's surveillance on Costello, that Costello was going after Billy through the Fed's. Neither had the Fed's revealed anything to the SIU about Sullivan, Barrigan or Brown. Not that Billy thought that Brown could be corrupt, quite apart from Billy's gut feelings, Brown was just not the type to get recruited by Costello. But ethnically, and where they were from in Boston, Sullivan and Barrigan definitely were. And how had they both risen so fast in the SIU? Billy suspected that Sullivan could have helped both.

Now back at work, Queenan decided to implement a new ploy ; Billy was going to "leave" the SIU and join the FBI. Well, at least working for the FBI Billy would not be spending (much) time in jail and would have the cash both to rent a secret spare apartment and buy a decent and even more secret out of town home were he could meet up with Queenan. With Billy secretly accessing confidential FBI details, And Costello had no idea what trouble giving info to Connolly and Morris was eventually going to cause him.


End file.
